, we still have this bigger challenge out there of how are we going to fix the deficit and debt problem in this country? we know we have to make hard choices. we know the parties have to work together, and they've got to get to work on this as quickly as possible. >> maya, with the greatest of respect, it seems to me your logic is all over the place. it's very clear the nub of the discussion, the squealing that we have at the moment is whether or not to extend tax cuts. that is, in effect, saying we are going to balloon the deficit further. this is not a conversation about actually fixing the debt, is it? that's not what we're talking about at the moment. we're squealing over, let's keep the deficit big. you seem to be arguing that that's exactly what we should be doing. >> let me explain, because it is more complicated than often things are discussed in washington. the problem with the fiscal cliff is it would put in place deficit reduction, but it would put in deficit reduction too much, too quickly, and with the wrong parts of the budget. so it would let all of the tax cuts expire, i
